theft
The noise from their fight was so loud that Pei Jue would have woken up even without Xu Ruoyan's kick. When Xu Ruoyan came in, he was just about to turn on the lamp.
By the flickering candlelight, Xu Ruoyan finally saw who was lying on the ground in front of her.
The man was disheveled, his hair was a tangled mess, and the ash on his face was so thick it seemed it could blacken an entire river. His clothes were covered in pudding, and there were several large holes in his elbows and knees, perhaps from a recent fight.
Xu Ruoyan leaned against the door with her arms crossed, quietly observing the man. Halfway through her observation, she suddenly felt that this man was truly an eyesore, so she looked up at Pei Jue.
That expression clearly said: You've disturbed my peace and quiet, so what do you say we do about it?
Unfortunately, Pei Jue couldn't see it.
Pei Jue sat down, leaning on a chair, and began questioning the man.
His voice was calm, yet carried a strong sense of authority.
Upon hearing his words, Xu Ruoyan was taken aback.
She had never heard Pei Jue speak in such an extremely cold tone before, so cold that it could instantly turn a June downpour into snow.
The person in front of him seemed to be frightened as well, trembling and stammering for a long time, unable to utter a complete sentence.
Xu Ruoyan was heartbroken about her lost sleep. Seeing him timid and unable to utter a sound, she completely lost her patience and kicked him in the butt.
"Do you want to tell the truth or lose your head? Speak now!"
Under the two men's threats and intimidation, the man finally managed to utter a complete sound, but unfortunately, his face was covered in snot bubbles, making him look quite disheveled.
"I...I saw you carrying many precious medicinal herbs to sell during the day, and I had a moment of wicked thoughts. I beg you, I beg you, young lady and sir, to be merciful and let me go!"
As he spoke, the man repeatedly banged his head against the ground, oblivious to the tears and snot mingling with his own.
Xu Ruoyan: "..."
Love wasn't Pei Jue's nemesis; he brought it upon himself.
She looked up and found Pei Jue staring at her, his expression very similar to hers just now.
What do you suggest we do?
What can I do?
Xu Ruoyan tried to pretend she was blind, coughed twice guiltily, and waved her hand at Pei Jue: "You can handle this person as you see fit. I'm too sleepy, I'm going to sleep first."
After saying that, he turned around, closed the door, and ran away in one swift motion.
Pei Jue couldn't help but chuckle.
The person in front of them was still sobbing, but afraid of upsetting these two devils, he dared not make a sound. He could only swallow his sobs, and when he strained too much, he started to hiccup one after another.
What was clearly a terrifying incident now seemed somewhat comical to Pei Jue.
Turning his head, his expression turned cold again: "According to the laws of our dynasty, theft is a crime. The punishment ranges from flogging and caning to hanging or beheading. Do you know your crime?"
The man nodded frantically, then burst into desperate sobs, crying, "I know I was wrong! Please, please let me go! I really know I was wrong..."
Pei Jue frowned and said coldly, "If you cry again, you'll lose your tongue."
The man hurriedly shut his mouth tightly and kept kowtowing.
Pei Jue glanced at the gushing blood flowing down his forehead and sighed almost imperceptibly.
The new emperor had only been in power for a year, and the policy of recuperation and development had just begun. The people's livelihood had not yet recovered, and the area was also hit by natural disasters. The harvest was far from enough for the people to survive the winter, so theft was common.
As expected, Pei Jue heard the man say, "I have an elderly mother, a wife and children, and we have been without food for three days. I really had no other choice but to covet your medicinal herbs. I truly know I was wrong, please spare me..."
As the man's wailing gradually turned into low sobs, Pei Jue stood up, took two silver coins from a wooden box in the wardrobe, and threw them in front of him: "These should be enough for your family to get through this winter. You should leave now, and don't expose us."
The man froze on the spot, then, after recovering, began kowtowing to Pei Jue, saying, "Thank you, benefactor! I am deeply grateful for your great kindness. Thank you, you are a good person..."
After Pei Jue stood in front of the door and watched the person leave, he turned around and saw Xu Ruoyan behind him.
"Why isn't Madam asleep yet?"
Xu Ruoyan crossed her arms and looked at him: "Why did you give that person money again?"
“I felt sorry for him because he was so pitiful. Besides, as a prince, it is my responsibility to help the people.”
Xu Ruoyan scoffed, "You still remember your pathetic prince status, but why don't they remember you?"
Pei Jue slowly shook his head: "Their character is none of my business."
Xu Ruoyan pursed her lips and asked, "Since this place has suffered from both natural disasters and man-made calamities, why doesn't the imperial court do anything? What about the disaster relief grain?"
Darkness spread from beneath their feet into the distance, with no sign of sunrise. Even standing very close, Xu Ruoyan could not quite make out Pei Jue's expression.
When Pei Jue spoke again, his voice was so soft that it seemed to drift away in the wind.
“As I told you, the new emperor is my elder brother. I know my brother's character all too well. He is ruthless, cunning, and treacherous, and is truly unsuitable for that position. Because his methods of ascending the throne were not honorable, many respected senior officials in the court do not submit to him and are always openly or secretly opposing him. My brother is busy all day long building up his power base and dealing with opposing forces, so naturally he has no time to care about the people’s livelihood.”
He let out a long sigh, his heart burning with intense anxiety and helplessness. For the first time since losing his sight, he was so desperate to see the light.
"It is said that the government is implementing a policy of recuperation and development, but in reality, the government's focus is not on the people. As a result, a year has passed and people in various places are still suffering. Take this town near us, for example. It is located in a remote area and is surrounded by mountains. It is already difficult to do business with the outside world. This year, it has also encountered natural disasters, making life even more difficult for the people."
Even Xu Ruoyan, who usually enjoys bantering with Pei Jue, had a somber look in her eyes and tightly pursed her lips.
She understood that throughout history, it was always the common people who suffered in the struggle for power.
Seeing that the two of them were preoccupied and unable to sleep, Xu Ruoyan simply pulled Pei Jue into the room to sit down and lit both lamps.
"Tell me your plans."
Pei Jue didn't know why she brought up this topic, and he remained silent for a long time, lost in thought.
Finally, Xu Ruoyan broke the silence:
"Actually, you don't trust me as much as you say, do you?" She casually toyed with the teacup in her hand, her gaze on Pei Jue seemingly casual. "It's okay, actually I don't trust you that much either. After all, I'm just a pawn in your plan. Who knows if you'll kill me after you've used me?"
Pei Jue immediately replied, "No, that won't happen."
Xu Ruoyan glanced at him with amusement: "It's okay, you can distrust me, but if you want my help, you should at least tell me your current thoughts."
"Our dynasty's imperial examinations are held every three years, Madam..."
Xu Ruoyan immediately interrupted him: "I know, you can continue."
Pei Jue nodded: "The new round of provincial examinations will begin in three months. I plan to select some of the successful candidates to serve under me and help them pass the palace examination so that they can enter the court. Only in this way can I rebuild my own power in the court."
Pei Jue's plan seems fine at first glance, but upon closer inspection, many unreasonable aspects can be found.
"The candidates for the imperial examination come from all over the country and have diverse backgrounds. How can you possibly select the ones who can be of use to your advantage?" Xu Ruoyan asked as she pondered. "Besides, you have nothing right now, so how can you persuade them to willingly submit to you?"
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
“It’s bamboo shadows,” Pei Jue said.
When Xu Ruoyan opened the door, Zhu Ying was standing at the door with a group of people dressed in black.
"Master, Madam."
A dozen or so people bowed to the two of them in unison, just as if they had rehearsed.
Xu Ruoyan was indeed taken aback by the scene, after all, it was the first time she had ever seen a □□ so close to it.
"Master, the secret guards have all been brought here."
"Hmm." Pei Jue waved his hand, and the twelve people quickly scattered and disappeared in no time.
Xu Ruoyan curiously peeked out and asked, "Guard Zhu, what are you doing bringing so many guards here?"
Bamboo Shadow:......
You can't exactly say it's because your master is keeping an eye on you!
"Let's go inside and talk," Pei Jue said.
After entering the room, Zhu Ying took a stack of papers out of her bosom and placed them on the table: "Master, everything we can find is here."
Xu Ruoyan looked at Zhu Ying with the same gaze one would give someone mentally challenged.
Pei Jue coughed lightly and explained, "Madam, this is for you."
So, the stack of papers naturally ended up in Xu Ruoyan's hands.
"Wang Heng, from Xuzhou, is eighteen years old. He lost his father at a young age and lives with his widowed mother; Li Wenzhou, from Fengyang, is twenty-three years old. He has no parents and only a six-year-old sister; Jiang Yuan, twenty-five years old, from Shunqing, has an elderly father, an ailing mother, and two younger brothers..."
Xu Ruoyan: "...Are all their backgrounds this tragic?"
“Those with tragic backgrounds are easier to control. What they need most to survive in the capital is money. So, if we give them some assistance, they will most likely be grateful to us,” Pei Jue’s voice was as calm and indifferent as ever, without a trace of emotion in his words. “However, those from wealthy families, although they would be more helpful if successfully won over, are more difficult to target. We don’t have many bargaining chips right now, so we can only bet on these people for now.”
Xu Ruoyan couldn't help but give him a thumbs up: "When it comes to scheming against people, you're the best."
Pei Jue neither agreed nor disagreed with her assessment. However, it wasn't exactly a scheme; it was simply a matter of mutual benefit.
Xu Ruoyan started going through the materials again from the beginning, her brain working at lightning speed.
"Are you planning to win over all the people listed here?" Xu Ruoyan shook the booklet in her hand. "There are at least twenty people listed here. Where are you going to get so much money?"
In an instant, the air fell silent.
Xu Ruoyan looked at the two of them in disbelief: "I mean, really?!"
The air remained quiet.
Xu Ruoyan became anxious.
"So all you're thinking about is exploiting me?"
“Madam, you’re mistaken,” Pei Jue said with a slight smile. “We are cooperating, not making demands on each other.”
Xu Ruoyan choked.
The thought of her secret stash of money being targeted made her heart ache. The politely smiling Pei Jue in front of her seemed like a terrifying conman to her, and she had reason to suspect that if she dared to say "no," she wouldn't even leave this house today.
She now deeply regrets having so easily accepted Pei Jue's invitation to collaborate.
That's incredibly shrewd!
She eventually gave in.
When will we go to Beijing?
Pei Jue looked out the window. The sun had already peeked out, and soft sunlight streamed in through the window frame, casually falling on the three of them.
"We should not delay; we will set off in three days."
Xu Ruoyan slammed her hand on the table and said decisively, "Alright, I'll gather more medicinal herbs in the next couple of days to prepare. After we get to the capital, I'll open a pharmacy."
Pei Jue asked with some doubt, "Can you make money opening a pharmacy?"
Hearing this, Xu Ruoyan winked at him playfully: "Watch me, you just sit back and wait to collect the money."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
